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Blue Jays rally for come-from-behind victory over Kansas City

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Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Jose Reyes, left, celebrates after tagging out Kansas City Royals' Chris Getz on an attempted steal to end the game during ninth inning AL baseball action in Toronto on Saturday, August 31, 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jon Blacker

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Toronto Blue Jays' Munenori Kawasaki celebrates as he slides into home to tie the game against the Kansas City Royals during eighth inning AL baseball action in Toronto on Saturday, August 31, 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jon Blacker

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Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Jose Reyes, left, tags out Kansas City Royals' Chris Getz on attempted steal to end the game during ninth inning AL baseball action in Toronto on Saturday, August 31, 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jon Blacker

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Toronto Blue Jays closer Casey Janssen pitches against the Kansas City Royals during ninth inning AL baseball action in Toronto on Saturday August 31, 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jon Blacker

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TORONTO, CANADA - AUGUST 31: Casey Janssen #44 of the Toronto Blue Jays celebrates their victory with J.P. Arencibia #9 against the Kansas City Royals on August 31, 2013 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jon Blacker

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Jose Reyes #7 of the Toronto Blue Jays dives back to first base in the sixth inning on a pick-off attempt during MLB game action against the Kansas City Royals on August 31, 2013 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jon Blacker

TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays took advantage of some sloppy defence and ineffective pitching to score three unearned runs in the eighth inning for a 4-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday.

Shortstop Alcides Escobar blew a tailor-made double-play ball and Aaron Crow would later walk in two runs as the Blue Jays won their third game in a row.

Jose Reyes had three singles and Toronto starter R.A. Dickey (11-12) worked eight innings for the win, giving up two runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out six.

Casey Janssen pitched the ninth to pick up his 26th save for Toronto (62-74). First baseman Eric Hosmer had two hits and drove in a run for Kansas City (69-66).

Blue Jays rookie Ryan Goins reached base on the Escobar error in the eighth while Reyes moved to second. Edwin Encarnacion walked to load the bases, with Crow coming in to replace Will Smith.

Crow struck out pinch-hitter Mark DeRosa for the second out but unravelled from there, walking Brett Lawrie of Langley, B.C., to put Toronto in front and then giving the Blue Jays another run by walking Rajai Davis.

Ned Yost came out to replace his pitcher and had some words for home-plate umpire Will Little, who ejected the Kansas City manager. Tim Collins came on in relief and got J.P. Arencibia to fly out.

Kelvin Herrera (5-7) shouldered the loss.

The Blue Jays scored their other run in the seventh inning.

Davis hit a two-out double and scored when Josh Thole drove a ball down the left-field line. Thole was thrown out at second base on the play.

The Blue Jays made a few base-running blunders during the game. Goins was thrown out trying to go from first base to third on a single by Adam Lind in the first inning, and Reyes was thrown out at second trying to stretch a single into a double in the third.

Goins picked up a single in the first inning to extend his hitting streak to eight games. That tied Jesse Barfield’s team record for the longest hitting streak to begin a major-league career. Barfield set the mark in 1981.

Former Blue Jay Emilio Bonifacio had a triple and scored in the third inning for Kansas City. He also struck out three times.

Starter Jeremy Guthrie pitched seven strong innings for the Royals, allowing one run on eight hits while striking out four.

Dickey struck out the side in the first inning, but Escobar got to the knuckleballer in the second with a two-out single to centre field to score Salvador Perez. Hosmer added to the lead in the third inning with his RBI single that scored Bonifacio.